By Steve Zabroski - Times Correspondent
Since numerous parents want to send their children to a new downtown charter school, a lottery likely will be needed for enrollment in some of the classes, administrators said last week.
More than 200 students already have applied for 320 available seats at the Hammond Academy of Science and Technology, which is scheduled to open this summer, said Scott Fech, school leader.
The alternative school plans to begin with grades six to nine and add a class each year for a total of 550 students through grade 12 by 2013.
Eighty-eight percent of the applications are from students currently attending public schools, with 80 percent of them living in Hammond, according to preliminary figures released by the nonprofit Hammond Urban Academy Inc., operator of the school.
Other applications received after a series of public meetings about the academy held this month came from residents of Crown Point, East Chicago, Griffith, Munster and Portage, according to the report.
Should applications exceed the maximum capacity of 80 students per grade, a public lottery is scheduled for Dec. 16 at the downtown federal courthouse, with preference given to siblings of already accepted students.
"The response we have received is a testament to those who have worked to bring this dream to reality," said Fech, a longtime principal at Bishop Noll Institute.
Much of the interest in the new school has been fueled by its innovative "project-based learning" curriculum, developed in collaboration with a Purdue University Calumet team led by Robert Rivers, nationally recognized education expert and PUC professor.
The specialized learning units "connect academic standards to the real world," Rivers said. "By making education meaningful at this age, we are able to foster habits of lifelong learning."
The unique curriculum isn't the only feature that impressed parents at the community meetings, said Kris Costa Sakelaris, HUA board president. Parents also like the school's inclusion of community members, teachers and parents in the learning experience, she said.
As of Wednesday, the academy had received 71 applications for grade six, 40 applications for grade seven, 41 applications for grade eight and 50 applications for grade nine.
The strong advance interest in the school is a very positive sign, said Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., who has led efforts to create a science and technology academy in the city since 2005.
"We're thrilled at the response," Fech said. "We genuinely look forward to welcoming students into a learning community that will shape the future of Northwest Indiana."
A final public information session is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at Purdue Calumet's Conference Center.
For more information about the academy, call (219) 937-9516 or visit www.hammondacademy.org.
